Start with a slow lap of the outside

Before you touch the throttle, take ten minutes to walk the full length of the boat, on the towpath side and then back along the other. This is the single most useful habit on any narrowboat, and it costs you nothing but time. Look at the waterline for fresh scuffs or dents, and check that the rubbing strake is intact. Make sure every window, porthole, side hatch and roof vent is closed and secured — a sudden shower through an open hatch will ruin your first morning.

Clear the roof of anything that could shift or fall in. Boat poles, plank, buckets and the chimney should all be stowed or removed for travelling. Lift the weed hatch cover and check it is seated properly with its retaining bar or bolts tight. A weed hatch that lifts at speed will flood the engine bay faster than you can react, and it is one of the most common causes of a narrowboat going down. Finish at the bow, checking the cratch cover is tied down and the gas locker is secure, with bottles upright and valves closed until you need them.

A few things to watch for on this lap:

• Fresh damage, blisters or soft spots in the paintwork along the hull
• Loose or missing fender chains, shackles and split pins
• Anodes that have worn away to nothing
• Any drip or stain below the stern gland or around the engine bay

Ropes, fenders and the centre line

Unstow your mooring lines and look at them properly. Run each one through your hands and check for chafe, fraying and hard knots. You want at least three lines of around 15 metres — bow, stern and centre — plus a spare. If you are staying put for a few days, add a spring line at each end to stop the boat surging on passing traffic. Replace anything that feels weak before you leave, not at the first lock.

Fenders should hang clear of the water but not so low that they snag on lock gates or the cill. Bow and stern button fenders protect the corners, while side fenders do the real work when you are breasted up or in a narrow lock. Check that the chains and shackles are sound; a fender lost in a lock is a small annoyance, but a swinging fender catching on a gate is a genuine hazard.

Coil the centre line neatly on the roof where you can grab it, and keep a boat pole and boat hook within reach. Above all, never let a rope trail in the water while you are moving. A line around the propeller will stop you dead, usually in the worst possible place.

Test the horn, lights and steering

Give the horn a short, sharp blast before you untie, and listen for a clear, loud note. Most boats have a simple car-style horn, and they fail quietly over winter. Test your navigation lights if there is any chance you will still be cruising at dusk, including the headlight and stern light, and check the tunnel light separately if your route includes one.

At the stern, check the tiller moves freely and the tiller pin is secure. Confirm the throttle and gear lever both sit properly in neutral, and that the engine stop cable or button works. Start the engine and let it idle while you listen for anything unusual, then check the stern gland is dripping at the normal rate and the bilge pump float switch lifts and runs. Top up oil, coolant and the stern gland greaser before you go, not halfway through a tunnel.

Life jackets and the crew briefing

Count your life jackets before every trip, not once a season. Check that each one fits the person it is intended for, that the auto-inflate cartridge is in date, and that no green indicator is showing on a gas cylinder. Store them somewhere everyone can reach without opening lockers or moving bedding — a grab bag by the rear doors works well for most boats.

Buoyancy aids are fine for confident adult swimmers. Children, non-swimmers and anyone working locks or standing on the roof should wear a proper life jacket. Keep a throw line on the stern deck and show the crew where it lives. Then walk everyone through the essentials:

• How to put the engine into neutral and stop it
• How to shut the fuel and gas off in an emergency
• Where the fire extinguishers and fire blanket are kept
• How to get out of the cabin from the front if the stern is blocked
• The rules for children: no roof, no stern deck, no lock gates

If somebody falls in, the drill is the same every time: engine into neutral, then stop the propeller, then throw the line. Say it out loud before you set off, and everyone will remember it.

Below deck, fuel and the weather forecast

Check your fuel level and allow a generous reserve — running out on a tidal river or in a long pound is genuinely dangerous. Drain any water from the fuel filter, confirm the bilges are dry, and make sure the carbon monoxide alarm is working and ventilation is clear. Turn the gas on only when you are using the hob, and know how to isolate the bottle.

Finally, look at the forecast and the river conditions. Wind is the narrowboater's real enemy on open stretches, and heavy rain can bring strong stream warnings or red boards that close a navigation entirely. Tell someone ashore where you are heading and roughly when you expect to arrive. Plan your first hour so you know where the first lock, winding hole and safe mooring are, and give yourself daylight for the first run of the trip. Do these checks calmly, in the same order each time, and you will set off relaxed — which is exactly how a canal holiday should begin.